Device for moving mattresses and other articles



July 31, 1962 A. A.`KLEINSCHM|DT 3,047,305

DEVICE FOR MOVING MATTRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES ef Schw/df Uber/ I gw'Jig July 31, 1962 3,047,305

DEVICE FOR MOVING MATTRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES A. A. KLEINSCHMIDT 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1958 3 l l l l July 31, 1962 A. A.KLElNscHMlDT 3,047,305

DEVICE Foa MOVING MAITREssEs AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed June l2, 1958 5Sheets-Sheet 3 6 5 g l A 7 Z 17 y 21 ZZ 57 15 30 J0 .av 30 United StatesPatent G 3,047,305 DEVICE FR MOVING MATTRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES AlbertA. Kleinschmidt, 9 E. Main St., Dundee, il. Filed `lune 12, 1958, Ser.No. 741,645 10 Claims. (Ci. 280-36) The present invention relates toimprovements in devices especially suitable for movingmattresses butalso readily adaptable for moving other articles and more especiallyfurniture items which are rather unwieldy for handling by a lone personor even by a plurality of persons.

In a household, small store and the like where a person must often relyupon his own manual eifort to move unwieldy articles such as mattresses,bed springs, chairs, davenports, rugs, and other utility or furnishingitems, problems of unwieldiness and excessive weight are frequentlyencountered. Mattresses are especially unwieldy for one person to handleand are even awkward for two persons to handle when acting jointly. Thesame is true of davenports, rugs, large radio cabinets, buildingmaterials such as pieces of lumber or trim, wall board panels, and thelike where a person is doing his own work and cannot count uponassistance.

However, it is not practical to have a separate moving device for everyconceivable type of article to be moved, but it is desirable to be ableto use the same device for handling various types of articles.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention toprovide a device of substantial versatility for moving articles of housefurnishing type and other types of articles yin a manner'enabling aperson to move such articles from place to place conveniently, unaidedby any other person, although more than one person working together may,of course, use the device advantageously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which isespecially suitable for moving an article having a long and a narrowerdimension and which must sometimes be supported on its narrow dimensionas well as on its longer dimension in the process of moving.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved wheeledmoving device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improvedknock-down moving device which can be readily set up for use without anyexceptional skill.

It is a further object 'of the invention to provide a new and improveddevice for moving mattresses and other articles and which device isreadily convertible by reason of a disconnectable sectional arrangementenabling various combinations and relationships of the sections to meetvarious requirements.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a sectional, hingedmoving device which is adapted to be knocked downinto .a compact foldedpackage unit for storage purposes.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a moving device ofthe general character described which is readily adapted for handlingVarious size articles and in which for size accommodation disconnectablepanels or sections are provided by which the llength of the devicecan beincreased or decreased by the number or size of the sections that may beselectively or alternatively Aused in the assembly.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,in which:

3,647,305. raten-aad July a1, 1962 FIGURE l is a perspective view of thedevice as it appears when handling a mattress or like article;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device in collapsed, folded condition;

, FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional detail view taken substantiallyon the line III- HI of `FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective assembly view of one of the sidesupporting bars or stakes and a receiving socket portion of thesupporting base member or .panel of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top portions of two ofthe opposed supporting stakes and the connecting members therebetween;

yFIGURE 6 is an exploded assembly View of two of the disconnectablesections of the device and the readily removable connecting pins;

FIGURE 7 is a more or less schematic perspective view showing how amattress may be loaded onto or unloaded from the device;

FlGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the device showing' it in use tomove a rug;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of the device in use to move anarticle of furniture such as a davenport; and

FIGURE l0 is a top plan View of a supplementary or auxiliary section bywhich the size of the device may be extended.

Referring to FIGURE l, a device embodying .the present inventionincludes an elongated base section 15 in the form of a horizontal paneland serving as the principal or main member of the device to which othermembers are arranged to be connected. As a base extension from the ibasemember 15 is an elongated similar base section member 17 with the endsof the members adjoining in alignment. ySeparable hinged connectionbetween the members 15 and 17 is eected by means of coupling struct-ure,in the present instance comprising respective hinge members 1S and 19having usual complementary aligned hinge curls and with readilyremovable connecting pins 2t) extending through the aligned hinge curls.By having the coupling assemblies on the upper facesl of the alignedbase panel members 15 and l17, the base panel members are adapted to `befolded in collapsed relation upon one another in face-to-face relationas shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

In a preferred arrangement, the device is of generally L-shape with thebase panel sections 15 and 17 providing one arm and on the end portionofthe main base panel 15 opposite to the connection with the base panelextension member 17, a right angular upstanding supporting structureproviding the other arm and comprising a iirst elongated panel sectionmember 21 of the same width as the y base member 15 and supporting onits upper end a seco-nd upright panel section member 22. Hinged,separable coupling of the panel mem-bers 21 and 22 is effected similarlyas described in connection withthe base panel members 15 and 17, as bestseen in FIGURES 3 and 6, comprising herein respective hinge sections 23.and 24 and Vreadily removable connecting pins 25 to extend through thecomplementary aligned hinge curls. A similar dis- .connectablehinge'coupling structure 27 is utilized to connect the lower end portionof the upright member 21 to a supporting .and spacer bar 28 carriedxedly upon rthe adjacent end portion of the base panel 15 and ofsufficient width to enable folded collapsed disposition ofthe panelupright members 21 and 22 upon the folded base panel member 17 as bestseen in FIGURES 2 and 3, with the panel 21 and then the two uprightpanel members foldedV down upon the member 17, with all of the memberslying substantially parallel in the folded relationship. Since theupright dimension of the device need not be as long as the basedimension, the two upright panel members 21 and 22 may be shorter and ofsubstantially the same length as shown. By having the base extensionmember 17 a little shorter than the main base member 15, a limited spaceor gap is afforded between the free end of the member 17 and thesupporting and spacer bar 28` to provide a storage space 29 within thecollapsed device.

To facilitate movement of the device, it carries wheel means, herein inthe form of transversely aligned pairs of casters 30. By preference themain base panel member has secured to its undersurface adjacent'to itsopposite ends respective pairs of the casters 30, while the extensionbase member 17 carries on its underface adjacent to its free end a pairof the casters 30, the remaining, attached end of the extension basemember in this instance relying upon the adjacent set of casters on thebase member 15 for rolling support through the hinge connection betweenthe two base members.

In order to enable the device to be up-ended for rolling support on theuprights 21 and 22, a pair of the casters 30 is carried by the outerside of the supporting and spacer bar 28, and the upper of the uprights22 carries respective pairs of the casters adjacent to its opposite endsand attached to its outer face. The lower of the upright panel members21 could also be supplied with such casters but that is not necessarysince rolling support is afforded by the casters adjacent to theopposite ends thereof on respectively the spacer bar 28 and the upper ofthe members 22.

In order to enable as at as possible collapsing of the several membersof the device, provision is made for receiving of the casters 30 on thebase member 17 within respective clearance apertures 31 in the upper ofthe upright members 22 (FIGS. l and 3), and the casters 30 on thefolded-under upright member 22 are received through clearance apertures32 in the folded base mem ber 17 For convenience in handling the deviceboth in its set up utility condition or in its collapsed condition, theseveral panel members are provided with suitable transverse hand holeslots 33. These slots are so disposed on the several panels as to be inregistration in the collapsed condition of the panels as Vshown inFIGURES 2 and 3. In addition, the free end portion of the upright panelmember 22 is provided with one of the hand hole slots 33 to provide aconvenient handle 34 on the free end of the member. Adjacent to its freeend, the base extension panel member 17 is also provided with one of thehand hole slots 33 to afford a handle 35. A

In the exemplary form shown, the device is dimensioned for convenientlysupporting and moving a standard double bed mattress 37 shown in phantomoutline in FIGURE l. For this purpose, the combined length of the basemembers 15 and 17 is preferably slightly greater than the total lengthof such a mattress and the total length of the upright members 21 and22, together with the supporting base bar 28 is preferably slightlygreater than the transverse, narrower dimension of the mattress and themattress is adapted to be supported on edge on the base members andagainst the upright members.

For retaining the mattress 37 upon the device and against collapsing,removable upright supporting bars or stakes 38 are provided. These areconstructed and arranged for removable attachment to the base members 15and 17 so that not only may the base members be used as supporting dollytype wheeled carriages without the stakes, but the stakes in preferrednumber may be mounted in a preferred relationship on the base membersand in relation to one another selectively.

One desirable manner of detachably but firmly securing the respectivestakes 38 to the base members as best shown in FIGURES l and 4,comprises the provision on the lower end of each stake 38 of a reducedwidth limited length downwardly projecting base end tenon, tongue, stemor boss 39 engageable in a complementary mortiselike socket hole 40provided in the respective base mem ber margin suitably spaced from theadjacent edge of the base member to afford an intervening solid area ofsuicient width to accommodate a latch notch 41 opening through the basemember edge and of a depth to receive the shank of a latching membersuch as a screw 42 carried by an angle bracket 43 suitably secured tothe outer face of the stake 38 immediately above the tenon stem 39. Anoutwardly projecting foot ange 44 on the bracket 43 carries the latchbolt or screw member 42 pendently and is preferably disposed with itslower face plane substantially aligned with seating shoulders 45 on thebase end of the stake 33 at opposite sides of the depending stemextension 39. Thereby, when the stake stem extension 39 is inserted intothe complementary though reasonably freely receptive socket 40, theshoulders 45 solidly engage the underlying upper face portions of thebase member at each side of the socket 40 while the foot flange 44engages the base member on the intervening marginal portion between theedge of the base member and the socket. Then, by drawing up a thumb nut47 ou the lower end portion of the threaded shank of the latch bolt 42to thrust against the underface of the base panel member at oppositesides of the bolt clearance slot 41 within which the bolt shank isengaged, the head of the latch bolt 42 draws the foot flange 44 intotight, stake-stabilizing engagement with the underlying upper face ofthe base member at the opposite sides of the clearance slot 41. Thestake is thus held effectively against any substantial move ment in anydirection relative to the base member. To facilitate drawing uptightening of the latch bolt 42, the head may be provided with anupstanding thumb wing 48 engageable between the thumb and forelinger ofone hand while the thumb and forefinger of the other hand run the thumbnut 47 up the latch screw shank. Conversely, of course, the latch boltmay be tightened by turning the bolt through the wing head 48 while thenut 47 is held stationary. By having the shank portion of the latch bolt42 loosely rotatably extending through the foot ange 44, and by havingthe dimensional relationship between the walls of the socket 40 and theopposing faces of the stem extension 39 suiiciently free, easy assemblyand disassembly of the stake base with respect to the supporting basemember is afforded.

By preference, provision is made for connecting the stakes 38 by opposedpairs to the respective base mem ber 15 or 17, with one of the stakemembers of each pair located on each opposite longitudinal margin of thebase member. In a convenient arrangement for multiple utility, twolongitudinally spaced pairs of the stake members 38 are arranged to besupported by the main base panel member 15,- while one pair of the stakemembers 38 is arranged to be supported by the extension base panelmember 17. Thus, the main base member 15 supports one of the pairs ofstake members 38 adjacent to one end of the base member and the otherpair of stake members thereon adjacent to the opposite end while thepair of stakes 38 carried by the extension base member 17 are supportednear its free end and thus suitably spaced from the nearest pair ofstakes on the base panel member 15. This affords desirable support forthe opposite broad faces of the mattress 37 adjacent to its oppositeends and also adjacent to its middle, retaining the mattress againstbuckling or'snaking but maintaining it centered on the median verticalplane of the mover device. On the other hand, where panel materialshorter than a mattress and requiring only use of the main base panelmember 15 is to be handled, so that the extension base panel 17 isdisconnected, the two longitudinally spaced pairs of stakes 38 carriedby the main panel member 15 aiord effective support for the opposite endportions or side margins, as the case may be, of the panels supportedvertically therebetween on the moving device.

While the mattress 37, or other article or articles to be moved mayeffectively be supported on the moving device between the stakes 3-without any connection between the upper ends of the stakes, it isdesirable, especially where the mattress or other article is to be moveda substantial distance and possibly through a more or less irregularpassage or up and down stairs or through doorways where the vdevice mustbe up-ended to wheel the same on the casters carried by the upright endpanel members 21 and 22 and the spacer bar 28, to provide hold-down andlatching means for at least the up ended longitudinal edge of themattress or other article and preferably also for the free end thereofwhich extends up from the free end portion of the extension base panelmember 17. To this end, referring to FlGURES l and 5, cross-overquick-releasable latching means are provided to extend between andconnect the upper end portions of the respective pairs of stakes 38. Inone desirable form, such latching means comprise respective flexiblerope-like latching members 49 suitably secured at one end portion to theassociated stake adjacent to the upper extremity of the stake and of alength to extend across the gap between the upper end portions of thepair of stakes and engage latchingly in a laterally opening latch slotor notch 5t) formed in the vertical edge of the opposing stake below andadjacent to the point at which the companion liexible latch member 49'is attached. On their free end portions, the ilexible latch members i9are provided with respective handles 51 which conveniently may be in theform of a loop as shown, with suitable light-frictionalresistance meanslocated adjacent to the loop in each instance for engagement with thesurface areas adjacent to the notch 50 into which the free end portionof the latch member is engaged. In a desirable form, such friction meanscomprises a pair of longitudinally spaced enlargements or knots 52.related to the thickness of the engaged stake to have suticient lightfrictional grip on the portion of rthe stake therebetween when thelength of lthe latch member between the knots is engaged within therespective notch 50, thereby retaining the free end portion of theflexible latch member against unintentional displacement. While perhapsone flexible latch member 49 between each pair of stakes would besutiicient for most purposes, by having a pair of such latch memberswith one carried by each of the stake end portions and disposed to belatchingly related in crossing relation asy shown and with the retainingnotch Sti in each instance disposed on the respectively opposite side ofthe confronting stake member, double assurance against unintentionalunlatching is had since even though one of the latch members 49 may slipout of its latching notch 50, the remaining latch member will adequatelyhold the latching, retaining relationship.

Additional retaining means, where desired, may comprise a flexibleretaining strand member 53 which may be of rope-like form to extendbetween the upper end portion of the upright member 2,2 at one end ofthe device and over the mattress or other article and down along theopposite end of the mattress and secured to the free end portion of thelbase panel extension member 17 as shown in FIGURE l. Attachment of theretaining member S3 to the upright panel member 22 may be by looping theassociated end of the member 53 through the handle hole 33 or aroundunder the adjacent casters 36,

vor as shown through the adjacent caster clearance aperthe retainingmember 53 is carried over thevupper edge of the mattress 37 and may bedirected diagonally thereacross to the upper or head end portions of theStakes 38 carried by the base panel member 17 where the retaining member53 is again looped around the stake heads in the notches 50 and Sdthereof and may be looped over and under the crossing flexible latchmembers 49 and then carried on down over the free end of the mattressand secured to the adjacent end portion of the extension baser panelmember 17 as for example by looping the end portion of the member 53through the adjacent caster clearance apertures 32, as shown. By loopingthe retaining rope-like member 53 about the head portions of the stakes38 as described, of course, the associated flexible latch members 49vare locked against any possibility of uninterrtional release until theloop of the retaining member 53 is unwound from the stake heads and moreparticularly out of the notches 54)' and 54. j

While the handles 34 and 35, as well as the hand holes 33 in the uprightend members 21 and 22 and the hand holes 33 in the base members 15 and17 are available for gaining convenient hand hold upon the device formanipulating the same, loaded or unloaded, additional handle means maybe provided, such as a spaced series ofhandle loops 55 on the portion ofthe retaining member 53 which extends over the outer end portion of themattress. l

Additionally, a suitable handle 57 may be provided on the outer side ofthe vertically disposed end spacer bar ZS. As a further aid inmaintaining the supported article on the device, suitable frictionfacing material may be carried by the article engaging -faces of theseveral components of the device. For example, on the article supportingfaces of the base panel members 15 and 17, frietion material in the formof a longitudinal strip 58 may be applied in a width that leaves theopposite margins of the base panel members free substantially as shown:Similar strip frictional facing material 59 may be carried by thearticle opposing faces of the stakes 3S. Similar frictional facingmaterial may be carried :by the article opposing faces of the uprightpanel members Z1 and 22. A suitable soft rubber or rubber-like materiallof high coetiicient of friction may be used. Although such material maybe supplied in strip form and adhesively secured in place, a suitablepainted or sprayed on friction facin material may be employed.

In order to increase the versatility of the device, one or moreauxiliary extension panel members 66 (FIG. 10)

may be provided and adapted ,to be connected as an exi tension from thefree end of the base extension panel member 17or connected between thepanel members 15 and 17 of the base structure, or connected between theupright end panel members 21 and 22. or between the upright panel member21 and the spacer and supporting bar 28. Where a set of selectivelyusable auxiliary lengthincreasing panel members 60 is provided, they maybe of graduated lengths from, for example, one-half foot sect-ion. up tothree or four foot sections. On the article opposing face of the panelsections 6i), hinge plate or leaf portions 61 are secured at one end andthe complementary strap or leaf portions 62 are secured at the oppositeend and such hinge portions are complementary to the hingesy on thepanel section components of the carrying device for interchangeableconnection therewith. lFor example, the hinge portions 61 arecomplementary to and adapted'to be connected to the hinge portions 19 ofthe base panel section 17 while the hinge portions 62 are complementaryto and adapted to be hingedly connected to the hinge portions 18 on themain base panel section :15; jAt the free end of the base panelextension section 17 thel yhinge portions 62 arey engageable withsuitablec'omplementary hinge sections 63 by means of removable `pinssuch asthe pins 20, 25 or 26 hereinbefore described.

On the article opposing face of the auxiliary panel seck tions 60suitable frictional facingmaterial 64 may be provided. Convenientlongitudinally spacedand parallel hand hole slots 65 may be providedthrough the auxiliary panel section. At one end, a small size hole 67may be provided whereby the panel section can conveniently be hung on asupporting bracket or nail on a wall when not in use. Where theauxiliary panel section 6% is over one foot in length, it may beprovided with suitable casters 68, similar to the casters 30, on itsfloor opposing side.

An important advantage of the article moving device of the presentinvention resides in the facility with which it can be loaded orunloaded by an individual with a minimum of physical effort. This isespecially important for persons who suffer some physical disability orimpairment which precludes any heavy lifting.

For example, theease with which the mattress 37 can be loaded into orunloaded from the moving device is schematically illustrated in FIGURE7. Thus, the moving device with one or more of the stakes 3S attached toonly one margin of the base assembly is wheeled into position alongsidea bed 69 from which the mattress 37 is to be removed or onto which themattress is to be placed. Because the overall width of the moving deviceis only a little greater than the thickness of the usual mattress, thedevice can be moved into position in what may be a very narrow spacebetween the bed and an adjacent wall. In any event, after the device hasbeen placed in position with the stakes 33 carried thereby on the marginremote from the bed, the mattress can easily be slid oi of the bed untilthe edge of the mattress nearest the moving device tilts down onto thebase members and 17 of the device. Since this action is primarily adropping or gravity induced action, only the moderate eort to slide themattress ott the bed is required. Then, when the adjacent longitudinaledge of the mattress has come to rest upon the base structure of thedevice, the remainder of the mattress can be easily tilted over intoupright position against the one or more stakes 38 opposing the same.vTo facilitate such final movement of the mattress into upright on-edgeposition on the device, a pull rope 70 may be secured at its ends to theusual side carrying handle loops of the edge of the mattress to be upended and by pulling on such rope the mattress can be brought to itsupright plane againstthe supporting stake or stakes 38 and then bylooping the rope -70 over the stakes the mattress can be held inposition until the stakes 38 have been attached to the opposite marginot the base members 15 and 17 of the device and thus fully support themattress in its upright on-edge position on the device. Of course,return of the mattress 37 to the bed after airing, cleaning or the likeinvolves merely a reversal of the procedure just described. If at thistime it is desired to have the mattress in reverse or turned overposition relative to that from which it was removed from the bed, thatcan easily be done by placing the moving device on the opposite side ofthe bed and placing in down position on the bed that face of themattress which vas up at the time the mattress was removed from the InFIGURE 8 is shown how the device can be used for moving an elongatedarticle such as a rug 71. Assuming the rug 71 to be longer than theextended combined length of the base members 15 and 17, either one ormore of the auxiliary sections 60 may be connected as extensions fromthe free end of the base member 17, or the end upright members 21 and 22still connected together, but detached from the spacer bar 28 may beconnected to the free end of the base member 17 as shown thus providinga multi-section base or dolly of a length suicient to support the rug 71adequately for handling. At suitable intervals, tie-on ropes 72 may betied around the rug 71 and to the underlying sections of the movingdevice. By virtue of the hinged articulated connection of the severalsections, it will be apparent that in moving the rug should it benecessary to go through an angular passage or entry Way or down astairway having periodic landings, the device may be hinged and the rugbent to clear the same through the passageway or around a bend in thestairs.

In FIGURE 9 is shown hovvA a rather bulky and generally unwieldy articleof furniture such as davenport 73 is adapted to be carried for movementby the moving device of the present invention. For this purpose, theupright panel section 22 of the device may be detached from the lowerupright panel section 21 and attached to one of the auxiliary panelsections 6i) of suitable length which in turn is connected to the freeend portion of the base extension panel section 17. The base panelsections 15 and 17 and the extension section 60 are maneuvered intoposition under the davenport and such maneuver requires only minoreffort to tilt the davenport 73` rearwardly, for example to raise thebottom thereof sufficiently to clear the moving device section or someother equally simple and easy procedure. Then the section 22 is swung upalong one side of the davenport while the section 21 stands uprightalong the opposite side of the davenport. If desired, means such as arope 74 may be secured between the now opposite end sections 21 and 22in order to hold the davenport down on the rolling sections. If it isnecessary to up-end the davenport to get it through a doorway or anarrow angular passageway, that can readily be done and the rollers orcasters 30 on the panel section 22 utilized -to roll the assembly.

Since the casters 30 or 63, as the case may be are on the usual swivels,it will be apparent that the device, irrespective of the articlesupported can be rolled in any direction, or can be rolled in anydirection in maneuvering the device into position relative to an articleto be supported.

When the device is to be put away or stored, it is readily collapsedinto the folded condition shown in FIGURES Z and 3 wherein it provides acompact package which can be placed in a small storage space. Any looseropes can be accommodated in the storage space 29 within the foldedunit. By using headed pins to connect the several connecting and hingesections, easy manual removal or replacement of the pins can be electedwith respect to the hinge sections.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination in a mattress mover, an elongated wheeled base panelstructure for supporting a mattress on can be shifted to be wheeled onend on the dew'ce, separable stakes mounted in longitudinally separatedrelation on the respective margins of said base panel structure toengage the respective opposite faces of the mattress, flexible latchmembers carried by the upper end portions of the stakes and separablyconnecting said upper end portions over the upper edge of the mattresson the device to retain the mattress against escape, and a tlexibleretaining member connected to said upstanding end panel structure and tothe upper end portions of the stakes, locking said flexible latchesagainst opening, and anchored to the end portion of the base panelstructure opposite to said upstanding end panel structure.

2. In an article moving unit, a horizontal wheeled elongated panelmember, an upright panel member hingedly attached to one end portion ofthe horizontal panel member and foldable onto the horizontal panelmember when it is desired to collapse the unit for storage purposes andarranged to be swung up from folded rela-A tion to the horizontal panelmember for article moving purposes, and a plurality of uprightsupporting members removably attachable to the longitudinal margins ofsaid horizontal panel member for retainingly engaging the sides of anarticle in upright position on said horizontal panel member and betweensaid upright members and with the swung-up upright panel member opposingan end of the article, said horizontal member having roller means on itslower face and said swung-up panel meinber having roller means on itsouter face so that the unit with an article supported thereby can berollably moved either on said horizontal Vmember or on said swung-uppanel member.

3. An article moving unit as defined/in claim 2 including an elongatedexible member including means to connect it to the upper end portionofsaid upright panel member and to the opposite end portion of thehorizontal panel member and engageable with the end opposite the uprightpanel member and the top of an article supported by the unit andcoacting with'the upright supporting members to retain the articleagainst escape from the unit.

4. An article moving unit as defined in claim 3 Wherein said elongatedflexible member has handle loops thereon engageable for assisting inmanipulating the unit with an article supported thereby.

5. ln an article moving unit, a horizontal wheeled panel member, anupright panel member hingedly attached to one end portion of thehorizontal panel member and foldable onto the horizontal panel memberwhen it is desired to collapse the unit for storage purposes andarranged to be swung up from folded relation to the horizontal panelmember for article moving purposes, a plurality of upright supportingmembers removably attachable to the margins of said horizontal panelmember for gripping an article in upright position therebetween on saidhorizontal panel member and between said upright members and Iwith theupright panel member opposing the article, and means connected to theupper end portion of said upright members and .said upright panel memberfor securing the article against escape from between said upright panelmember and said upright members, said upright panel member having wheelson its outer face and said horizontal wheeled panel member having wheelson its lower face so that the unit with `an article supported therebycan be rollably moved either on said horizontal wheeled panel member oron said uprightpanel member.

6. An article moving unit as defined in claim 5 wherein said meansconnected to the upper end portion of the upright members compriseliexible latch elements permanently attached to the upper end portionsof certain of the uprightmembers `and interlock means on the upper endportions of others of the upright members and on the ilexible latchelements releasably interengageable for retaining the latch elements.

7. An article supporting unit `as defined in claim 5 wherein said meansconnected to the upper end portion of said 'upright members comprise -aplurality of iiexible latch elements and an elongated flexible securingmember attached to the upper end portion of the upright panel member andextending Iacross the upper side of an article supported by the unit andcoacting with said latch elements to retain them in latching position,said elongated flexible member extending in retaining relation along theend of the article remote from said upright panel and being attached tothe opposite end portion of the horizontal panel from its attachment 'tosaid upright panel.

8. In 'an .article moving unit, a horizontalV wheeled elongated panelmember, an upright panel member releasably hingedly attached to one endportion of the horizontal panel member Iand foldable onto the horizontalpanel member when it is desired to collapse the unit for storagepurposes and arranged to be swung up from folded relation to thehorizontal panel member for article moving purposes, a plurality ofupright supporting members removably attachable to the longitudinalmargins of said horizontal panel member for retainingly engaging thesides of an article in upright position on said horizontal panel memberand between saidr upright members and with the swung-up upright panelmember opposing an end of the article, said horizontal member havingroller means on its lower face and said swung-up panel member havingroller means on its outer face so that the unit with an articlesupported thereby can be rollably moved either on said horizontal memberor on said swung-up panel member, and hinge means on the opposite endportion of said horizontal member Ito which said upright panel member isreleasably lhin'gedly attachable vafter' it has been released `from said'one end portion of the horizontal ypanel member whereby said uprightpanel member is adapted to become a horizontal extension of saidhorizontal member.

9. In an article moving unit a horizontal wheeled elongated panelmember, a tixedly disposed upwardly projecting spacer bar on one endportion of said horizontal member, a first upright panel member hingedlyattached at one end to said spacer bar, a second upright panel memberhingedly attached to the opposite end of said first upright panelmember, said second panel member being foldable onto the inside face ofthe rst panel member and the thus folded first and second panel membersbeing foldable onto the horizontal panel member and said spacer barproviding a space between the horizontal panel member and the firstpanel member whereby all of the panel members when folded together aresubstantially parallel to one another for eiiicient collapsed storagepurposes but from which folded together relationship the first andsecond panels are readily swung up into aligned upright positionrelative to the horizontal member', and a plurality of uprightsupporting members removably attaohalble to the longitudinal margins ofsaid horizontal panel member for retainingly engaging the sides of ianlarticle in upright position on said horizontal panel member and betweensaid upright members and with the aligned swung-up upstanding panelmembers opposing an end of the article, said horizontal member havingroller means on its lower face and said second panel member and saidspacer bar having roller means on their outer faces so that the unitwith an Iarticle supported thereby can be rollably moved either on saidhorizontal member or on said second panel member Iand said spacer bar.

l0. In an article moving unit, a horizontal wheeled elongated panelmember, an upright panel member hingedly attached -to 4one end portionof the horizontal panel member and .toldable onto the horizontal panelmember when it is desired to collapse the unit for storage purposes andarranged to be swung up yfrom folded relation to the horizontal panelmember for article moving purposes, a plurality of upright supportingmembers removably rattaclhable to the [longitudinal margins of saidhorizontal panel member for retainingly engaging the sides of an articlein upright position on said horizontal panel member and between saidupright members and with the swung-up upright panel member opposing fanend of the article, said horizontal member having roller means on itsIlower face and said swung-up panel member having roller means on itsouter face so that theunit with an article supported thereby can berollably moved either on said horizontal member or on said swung-uppanel member, said horizontal member and said upright supporting membershaving on the article-opposing faces thereof frictional material toprevent slipping of the article supported thereby, and means acting onsaid upright supporting members to hold them against the article.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (Qtherreferences on following page) 11 UNITED STATES PATENTS Torgerson June 8,1920 Grazer Oct. 18, 1921 Wilson Jan. 6, 1925 Treuan July 5, 1927`Riddle Aug. 23, 1927 Mohler Nov. 15, 1927 Hollowell Jan. 28, 1930Romine Aug. 12, 1930 Breeden Sept. 15, 1931 12 Iellineck Jan. 19, 1932Koehler Aug. 9, 1932 Chase Nov. 22, 1932 Daniels Oct. 3, 1939 Ackermanetal Nov. 6, 1945 Schulein Apr. 22, 1947 Carter May 10, 1949 Fairclothet al Dec. 14, 1954 Lessard May 24, 1955 Owen Aug. 26, 1958

